Caramelized White Chocolate Bread Pudding
Fluffy croissants immersed in a caramelized white chocolate custard, baked until deliciously golden, and drizzled in a silky caramelized white chocolate ganache!
Ingredients
Caramelized White Chocolate:
- 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
Bread Pudding:
- 8 ounces caramelized white chocolate, chopped (from recipe above)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 14 ounces stale/day-old croissants, cut or torn*
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, for topping
Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache:
- 4 ounces caramelized white chocolate, chopped (from recipe above)
- 1 ounce white chocolate, chopped
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Caramelized White Chocolate:
- Preheat oven to 250ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scatter white chocolate evenly over baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, and smooth out with a spatula. Place the white chocolate into the oven in 10 minute intervals, stirring/scraping up, and re-spreading the white chocolate each time. After four intervals (50 minutes total baking time), you should end up with a nice deep beige/butterscotchy color. Allow caramelized chocolate to cool and harden**
Make the Bread Pudding:
- Place the caramelized white chocolate in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
- Pour the heavy cream, milk, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Immediately pour hot cream mixture over the chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and egg together. Slowly whisk in a few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the warm cream, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla. Gently fold in the croissants.
- Pour mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread to assure all the pieces are saturated in the custard. Allow to sit and soak for at least 2 hours**.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar evenly over the bread pudding. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and toasty.
Make the Ganache:
- Place both chocolates in a medium bowl; set aside. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat on the stove over medium-high heat. Once it starts to simmer, immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and stir until smooth. Allow ganache to cool slightly.
- To serve, slice/scoop bread pudding into bowls. Drizzle with ganache, and enjoy!
Notes
*If your croissants are fresh, you can dry/toast them in the oven. Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Scatter the torn croissants evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and toasted, about 8-10 minutes.
**You can also prepare this bread pudding the night before, allow it to soak overnight, then bake it in the oven the next day. If you do this, let bread pudding sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before baking.